Energy Harvesting Towards Power Autonomous Sensors in Smart Grids

Wireless sensors have gained popularity in smart grids scenario, and their increasing number, together with efficient data processing and decision-making, can optimize the entire operation of electricity generation and distribution. In order to meet the sensor energy demand, low-power energy harvesting systems have become a promising alternative since their principle is converting energy available in the surrounding environment into useful electrical energy to supply low-power devices. The advantage of this technique is the abundance and availability of ambient energy sources that, despite having low energy density, are sufficient to individually power each intended sensor continuously, presenting similar versatility to batteries but without constant replacement. In this context, this chapter intends to survey the leading energy harvesting techniques for wireless power sensors in a smart grid scenario, focusing on mechanical, Radio Frequency (RF), and solar sources, presenting their basic topologies, working principles, capabilities, and main characteristics.